Pimiento coring and skin-loosening machine



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Dec. 11, 1923. 1,476,937

. c. J. WALDEN PMIENTO CORING AND SKIN LOOSENING MACHINE Fiied Jan. 5. 192s s Sheena-sheet s 45 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented ec. 1l, 1923.

UNITED STES orties.

CECIL J'. WALDEN, OE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PIMIENTO CORlNGr .AND SKN-LOOSENNG MACHINE.

. Application filed January 3, 1923, Serial No. 610,430.

To all 10720722. may concern.' l

Be it known that l, @Eoin JOHN lVeLunN, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Los ngeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State. of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pimiento Coring and Skin-Loosening Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a pimiento coring and skin loosening machine which is designed to be automatie'in operation to separate the core from the meat and skin from the fruit, and to deposit them in different receptacles.

lt is the object of my invention to provide a machine for the purpose above described which will be simple and durable in construction and eilicient and rapid in peration, thereby reducing to a minimum the expense of preparing the fruit for commercial purposes.

Another objectof my invention is to provide a novel means for driving the various mechanisms at variable speeds, and' toenclose the various working parts in order that particles of the pimiento inay not become entangled therein as well. as to protect the operator from injury.

The above and other' objects will be more fully described in the following specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig, 1 is a longitudinal section through a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section through the same taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a sectionvtaken on the line 3-#3 of Fig. 1 viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows Figs. Ll, 5 and 6 are enlarged sectional views illustrating various steps in the process of coring the fruit and ejecting the same from thefniachine. Y

Fig. is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken on the line Tv-7 of Fig. 3 viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

In carrying out my invention 10 repre sents a suitable base, adapted to be secured to a table or bench, from which projects upwardly a pair of oppositely disposed standards 11 and 12 which are secured together at their upper ends by means of a spacing bolt 13, The standard 11 has secured thereto a forwardly projecting stud shaft le which passes through a bore 15 formed in the standard 12, and is reduced in dia-meter at its free end as at 16.

llotatably journaled on stud shaft 14 is a. hub 17 having formed on its forward end a bevel gear 18, and secured to its rear end a pulley 19 and al pinion 20.

Mounted for rotation on the hub 17, and passing through the bore 15 of standard 12 is a hub 21 having secured to its rear end a gear 22 and to its forward end a. disc 23. The gear 22 is adapted to mesh with a gear 24 journals-d on a stud 25 secured to the standard 12, and secured to said gear and adapted to rotate in unison therewith is another gear 26 which meshes with the pinion 20.

By the above recited construction it will be obvious that when power is applied to the drive pulley 19, the gear 18 will be rotated and through the medium of the gears 20, 25, 24 and 22, the disc. 23 will be rotated in the saine direction but at slower speed.

Surrounding shaft 16 and secured to the disc 23 by means of the screws 27 is a cas ing 23, provided with a plurality of radially disposed bores 29 in which are journaled the hubs of pinions 3() adapted to mesh with bevel gear 18. The pinions 30 are provided with centrally disposed bores 31 into which projects the radially disposed mandrels 32 secured to the casing 2S by means of the screws 33.

rThreaded into the bores 31 of pinions 30, and adapted to rotate therewith, are the outwardly extending coring knives 34; which -comprise cylindrical tubes sharpened at 35 on their outwardly projecting ends. The mandrels 32 are provided with centrally disposed bores 36 in vwhich the stems 37 are adapted to slide, said stems beingprovided vat their inner ends with buttons 33 adapted to engage. with the cam 39, keyed to the shaft Y1G, and at their outer ends secured to the core'ejector members 4:0, said ejectoi` members comprising tubes, which are pro vided with funnels 4:1 at their outer ends, adapted to slide in the bores of knives 34;.

Extending from the outer ends of mandi'els 32 are a plurality of spikes or pins 42 adapted to project through apertures in the walls of funnels 41 and at predetermined times to project into the core' of the fruit, to hold it centrally disposed with respect' to lil `which engage in e cum' groove lil formed `n the coring knife and also frein rot-ation when the coring` knife is periorn'iing` its function.

A plurality of fruit receiving` cups 'i3 adapted to guide sindl position the-fruit to dispose the core thereof centrally with respect to the core holding spikes and co knives7 provided with inwardly projectinghollow Steins lll, are slidsbly mounted on the tubulerlnives andere moved thereon by ineens of arms guided in ways lo Yformed in disc Q3, the outer ends oi? seid arms being: provided witliyolres 4G edzini'efl to engage in grooves '4L-7 formed in the` stems lelo cups The arms l5 are liniited in their outward movement by ineens o't' the reeds of the bolts i9 secured to the casing 28, said bolts passing 'through apertures in the )folies ilo', `l the heads thereoi ongeging with said y'olzes Yfor this purpose. The outer ends of the hubs ot pinions 30 ere tepered es tl 50 and the inner enc s of stems Llei are provided with corresponding tapered cavities-:5l in` order that e rictionel ment' he weenthese members may be had et e predetermined inter-val during the clc of operation, and thereby revolve the cups .inunison with the cori'ng; knives.

The guide cups lll are adapted to guide the pimientos to be prepared, `and dispose the corfes thereof centrally/,r with respect to the spikes end coringknives, and to be pressed down onthe sanne at predetermined intervals `by pull onnien'ibers i325 which co1nprise e cover 53 attached to a barY 54, seid bar being provided with reci; teeth 55 at their inner ends and' adapted to project into the' Ways etrormed in the disc 23, and to be guided by means oi' pins 56 secured in and between the cesinggr 28 and the disc 23, which pass through slots 58 in seid bers. Rackbers 59 wiich engage with the teeth of bei' 5l tre adapted to slide in the ways 46', sind are pro-vided with rollers disc 23, the bearing` studs ot seid rollers passing through slots 62 in' said disc.

The outer ends of the bers ere edfiptod toengage with the shoulders ifi-S (see Fig', of the arms to positively force the guide cups outwardly and hold them in this posi` lion during the time the piniientos'zire boing positioned with respect to the holding' spikes and lniivos, tlierciy c. .iinuting the danger oi" the lingers ot the operator becoming punotured or out by the stime. i

By the above recited construction it will be obvious that uponrotation of the css- .ing 28 and; disc 23, the rack bars 59 will he actuated by ineens of the cani groove 6l, and in turn will ectuate the pull on inembers tocziluse the covers to be euton'uitically thrown over the guide clips sind the pimiento contained therein, and will then push the pimiento onto the spikes und coring knives, and nl' the suine linie push the cups inwardly in sliding relation with the l-:nives 34s, thereby iinpiilinp` the core oi' Adie pimiento on the spikes und cutting the nient troni the coro, and that ihrt motion will he reversed duringr :i cycle ol; operation.

ln order 'that the casing Q8 ino); he more olleciiively supported, ii pziir of collars G2 are keyed to the shalt oud il' :nid disposed olI lhe ruin il the caising E28 beingprovided willi :i centrally disposed bore (l-.l which surrournlr; the peripheries oi seid collars, thus relieving; lhs hearing); strain on the hub 2l of disc Ql. The collars (52 are provideiil with ilzingos (il between which the cursing; 2S is njuideth nud seid collfirs are held in position by ineuns of the nut 65 which is threaded on (he ond of stud shaft 16.

Av disc plete G6 is secured to the from uur- .iisice of' the fusing 20? in order tliij the` gr: 30 and other worri parte niiy bo protocted Llironi fragments oic the pimientos :is voll as to alford protection of the oper: tor from becomingentangled in the Before thc pimientos :irc operated upon to be cored :ind otherwise prepiirorh the)v :iro lirst treated by boiling the sinne in oil 5ft e high temperature; this tends to loosen the slrin iroin the .llos-h or nient :it :ill purr-i t the fruit with the exception o :i suzill ren et its blossom end. the loosening.r oll tho shin it the blossom end boing provided l'o:l in the n'uchunisiu oi the inzirhine :nul will he descmilied in the 'li'.illowingro 'ilul of ils4 inode of operation.

ln the ope ation ot the n'uuxliine the @using 2li 1 :iv-"ving the fluide cups und olliei merlin-- nisni, is reused l'o rotate :it n slow speed in the direction indieutefl h v the :irrows in Figs. E2 end il ot thc drnwii through the incdiuin ol the pulley 'lfl und the tf1-:iin of n'cnrs previously doser 1: l Suid pulley lieing bolted to s source olt mower, not shown. ne knives let :ire caused to rolul'e :it :i high speed through their cning'enieul with the bevel ,geur i8, which is secured to the pulley lilhilo the cups or holders :ire passing between i :siti s :uid B. (see lligf. Q) the i mientos ure plnred therein wil-h the `vlouis,

in Figi'. -lof the li'nwiugrs :ruil in the extremo ends of tho l shown :iopnlod spikes the 1j utor inoinliers i() :fliflini inlvl) lll)

firmly on to the spikes or pins 4:2, the spikes or pins holding the pimiento from rotation While the knives cut around the core. When the cups reach their innermost position, frictional contact is then made between the tapered ends 50 of the hubs of pinions 30 and the surface of the tapered concavities 51 of the hollow stems la formed on the lower ends of the cups 4:3, thus causing the cups to rotate a fewl times, and as the core is held in a stationary position by means of the spikes or pins 42, and the blossom end of the pimiento is held stationary by frictional contact with the cover, the skin and the meat of the pimiento caused to rotate, thus twisting out the core and at the same time forcibly rubbing the blossom end against the cover to loosen the skin from the meat atv this point. While the cups are passing from C to D (see Fig. 2), they are moved outwardly and the covers 53 are moved from their path, thus separating the meat and skin from the core, and permitting them to drop from the cups, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. iVhile the cups are moving between positions D and A (see Fig. 2), the ejectors 4t() are caused to move outwardly by means of the cam 39 and strip the cores from the spikes 42 and eject them from the cups, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the dravvings.

By this mode of operation it will be obvious that the mechanism ma-y be so timed as to cause the skin and meat of the fruit to be automatically dropped into a suitable receptacle and the cores to be dropped into another receptacle.

l. A machine of the class described, come prising a fruit guiding member, a tubular cutting knife disposed' centrally with said fruit guiding member, a core holding mechanism. disposed in said tubular cutting knife, means for' reciprocating said fruit guiding member on said cutting knife, and means for rotating said cutting knife.

2. A machine of the class described, comprising a fruit guiding member,` a tubular cutting knife disposedcentrally with said frui t guiding member, a fruit holding mechanism disposed in said tubular cutting knife, a core ejecting mechanism associated with said fruit holding mechanism, means for reciprocating said fruit guiding mem-- ber relative to said tubular cuttingknife,A nieans for reciprocating said core vejecting mechanism. relative to said core holding mechanism, and means for rotating said tubular cutting knife.

A. machine of the class described, comprising a fruit guiding member, a tubular cutting knife disposed centrally with said fruit guiding member, a fruit holding` mechanism disposed in said tubular cutting knife, a core ejeeting mechanism associated with said fruit guiding mechanism, means for reciprocating` said core ejecting mechanism relative to said fruit holding mechanism, means for rotating said tubular cutting knife, a cover for said fruit guiding member and independent thereof, and means for rotating said fruit guiding member at pre' determined intervals around said tubular cutting knife.

4t. A machine of the class described, comprising a shaft, a casing mounted on said shaft, a plurality of fruit holders mounted on said casing, each of said fruit holders having associated therewith a coring knife, a a fruit guiding member, a pull on member, and a core ejecting mechanism, means for rotating said casing, and means for operating said coring knife, fruit guiding member, pull on member and core ejecting mechanism at predetermined intervals during the rotation of said casing.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a fruit coring mechanism, a fruit holding mechanism disposed therein, and means for relatively rotating said fruit coring mechanism with respectvto said fruit holding mechanism.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a rotary tubular core cutting member, a fruit holding mechanism disposed therein, means to rotate said core cutting member with respect to said fruit holding mechanism, and a reciprocal fruit guiding member mounted on said tubular core cutting member.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a rotary core cutting member and means to rotate the same, a fruit holding mechanism disposed in operable relation to said cutting member, a fruit guiding member mounted for reciprocal movement on said cutting member, and means for ej ecting a fruit from said fruit guiding member and a severed core from said fruit holding mechanism after a movement of said core cutting` member.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a core severing member and Operating means therefor, a fruit holding mechanism disposed adjacent said core cutting member, a fruit guiding means reciprocally mounted on said core cutting member, and means for ejecting a fruit from said fruit holding means and the severed core from said core holding mechanism after a movement of said core cutting member.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, a casing mounted for rotation, a plurality of pimiento receiving and guiding receptacles mounted on the periphery of said casing, pimiento coring and skin loosening mecha--l nisms mounted adjacent each of said receptacles and communicating With their interiors, means for actuating said coring and skin loosening` mechanisms, and means for rotating said easing.

10. In an apparatus oi' the class described, acasing' mounted for rotation, a plurality eiipimineto coring mechanisms mounted on said? casing, means Jior actuating' saidfeoring mechanisms, and inea-ns for rotating said cas-ing.' p

ll. In an apparatus ot the class described, a casing mounted for rotation, a` plurality of pimiento coring and skin loosening meehanisms mounted in said: casing andi rotating therewith, means for actuating said ooring and skin loosening mechanisms, and mea-ns to rotate Sai d casing.

l2. In an'apparatus of the class described, a cas-ing' mounted for rotation, a` plurality of pimiento receiving `and guiding receptacle-s mounted on said casing, al plurality of coring;4 and skin loosening mechanisms mounted in .said casing, one for each receptacle, said mechanisms connnmicaiing u'ith the interior of said receptacles-lmeans to actuatcsuiel mechanisms, means to hold the pimientos in position during the curing, and skin loosening operation, and means to rotate said easing.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, a iframe, a shaft secured to said frame, a pulley mounted for rotation on said shaft, a casing` provided with :t plurality ot coring mechanisms mounted for rotation around said shaft, a gear secured to said pulley e11- gaging` with said coring mechanisms, and speed changing gearing interposed between said pulley and casing.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing,r I have hereunto subscribed my name this 23rd day of November', 1922.

CECIL J'. VVALDEN. 

